if only we had met earlier
by sailorwave
Summary: Usagi Tsukino tries to forget her feelings about the boy who sits behind her in class and focus more on the important things, such as the fact that nothing is right. Such as the fact that an evil queen will stop at nothing to see her demise. Seiya Kou, tries to forget about the overwhelming guilt of keeping a secret kept from Usagi and focus on the fact he is falling way too hard.
1. Chapter 1

**ACT 1**

Tsukino Usagi yawned, leaning forward in her chair. Her brooch brushed against the wood of the desk, creating a sort of clink against it. Usagi wiggled around, readjusting herself so that it didn't press so harshly against her chest. A snicker came from behind her.

"Tired, Odango?" Kou Seiya tapped his pen against the desk's surface, a habit Usagi tried her best to ignore. "I barely got any sleep last night. My brother was up yelling at some video game..." She groaned quietly, careful not to disturb the teacher, a few desks ahead of her. She leaned back to eye at her desk partner. Seiya chuckled, writing down whatever the answer that Usagi was supposed to be writing. "Shingo-kun seems obsessed with those games. Maybe you should try them out." Usagi frowned, twisting her torso completely to look at the raven-haired celebrity. Seiya put his pen down to give a challenging smirk. "I play those games! Well, I prefer arcade games. Computer games are so confusing!" Usagi whined, her tone getting increasingly louder, and Seiya shook his head with a laugh. "I still bet you're horrible at them, Odango. Gaming doesn't seem like something you do." Seiya uttered. Usagi hated that challenging tone of his. She didn't notice that the students were looking.

"And what does it seem like I do?"

"Make my heart go pitter-patter."

"Ugh." Usagi groaned, looking back to the front. Seiya had that alluring smile, as her friends would describe it, and that was another thing she hated about Kou Seiya.

"Really, Odango. I bet you're horrible at those games." Usagi tried to force herself to look at her paper, ignore Seiya, and maybe do her questions, but to no avail. "I am not... You haven't seen me play those games." She muttered, doodling on her worksheet to make it seem like she was working. The teacher started eyeing her, so Usagi tried to keep her voice down. "Well, you and your friends never invite me to the arcade."

"Why should we? I don't want to get attacked by a thousand fans in the process." With a huff, the bell rang and Usagi stood, stuffing her paper into her book bag and taking out her lunch. "Hey, I promise, Odango, this time will be different. It's amazing what a pair of sunglasses and a hat can do for you."

With a roll of her eyes, the pair walked out of the classroom, and down the hall. Seiya had his usual pose of putting his book bag over his shoulder. Usagi, once again, ignored the jealous girls staring at her, ignored everyone who looked at them. She was so engaged at yelling at Seiya, nobody really mattered. That is until Minako jumped at her.

"Usagi-chan!" She exclaimed, nearly knocking her over. Usagi got pushed and her shoulder brushed against Seiya's. A tiny blush came to both of their faces.

"What is it, Mina-chan?" Usagi said, quickly moving away from Seiya before any loud fan screamed at her. Again. "What are you doing after school? A new movie came out and the girls and I want to go see it!"

"Odango is taking me to that arcade you guys always talk about," Seiya said Usagi turned around to give him the stink eye. "I never agreed to that!" Usagi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Minako snickered and stood off to the side. "Oh really? The arcade is so much fun. The movie is later, maybe you can join us after, Usagi-chan?" Minako's eyebrows wiggled and Usagi sighed. "Fine. Since I know I'm gonna kick Seiya's butt at Immortal Combat!"

"Is that a challenge, Odango?" Seiya's smirk was back, but Usagi had one to match.

"It totally is!" Usagi's hands were on her hips, and she was on her toes. Seiya looked down at her, and their faces had electric sparks going between them in their battle.

"Oh, what tension…" Minako giggled and put an arm around Usagi's shoulders. "Well, Seiya-kun, if you don't mind I'm just gonna take your rival away from you. Us girls have some talking to do!" She pulled Usagi away, and Usagi had a moment to look back at the confused, and maybe disgusted look on his face.

Minako pulled Usagi to their usual spot, where all four girls sat on a bench in front of the bushes. The place was secluded for the girls' gossip to not be heard, the same goes for their Sailor Soldier talk. It was right in front of the running track, and only the crazy athletic people would run by. They never heard the giggly whispers of who was dating who, how attractive the Three Lights were, or what was going on with the newest enemy. It was nice, to be excluded from the world like this. It was a shame that Rei couldn't be a part of this, but there was really nothing the girls could do about it. Rei's school was one of the best in the district, the fact that she didn't have to do any entrance exams. The school was extraordinary and Usagi was a little bit jealous. Visiting it the few times she did, including that one time she did with Seiya, it was definitely something Usagi would pay a little extra to attend. Alas, Usagi wasn't Catholic, but she wondered, why did someone like Rei attend that school? Maybe she was as slow as everyone thought she was.

Ami sat on the bench, reading a book that seemed too large for Usagi but nothing out of the ordinary for Ami. "Usagi-chan, did Minako-chan tell you about the movie?" Ami asked, tearing her eyes away from her book. "Yes! I… Have something to do at the arcade. I will have to meet up with you guys later." Usagi scratched the back of her neck, chuckling sheepishly. She hoped Minako wouldn't mention Seiya. "Oh, are you going to try and hit on Mamoru-san again?" Makoto was leaning against the tree that hung above the bench, looking at anyone who passed by on the track. Usagi blushed profusely, her sheepish laughter getting louder. "She's got a date with the one, the only, Kou Seiya!" Minako exclaimed.

"You're going on a date with Seiya-kun?" Ami cocked a brow, furrowing the other. "No!" Usagi shook her head and pinched Minako's arm, who yelped in pain. "He just wanted to see the arcade… I'm going to kick his butt in combat games!" Usagi hated when the girls bugged her about Seiya.

It's been really apparent for the past season that Seiya had a crush on Usagi. Everyone but Usagi herself really noticed that. Seiya would love to tease Usagi, he spent most of his time trying to get a conversation in between them. If Usagi wasn't so dense, the two of them probably would've been dating. Usagi really did like hanging out with Seiya, but more often than not, would reject him because he was so weird. His crush on her was not something she was especially used to.

"Anyways…" Ami trailed off, trying to grab the girls' attention. "We should still be careful. I don't know what it is but this feeling of peace… It may not last long. However, I'm not the one for premonitions. Rei-chan is usually the one to give those. I just don't feel… Right." Usagi nodded, putting a hand on Ami's shoulder. "Ami-chan… Let's just enjoy today, hm? Let's not think about it. You know, if we just live today like today then nothing will be bad! Now, Mako-chan, can I eat some of your lovely lunch?"

Makoto laughed and held out her lunchbox, in which Minako also joined in. Ami sighed and tried to not think too much. However, for Ami, that was hard.

* * *

"You hear that, My Prince?" An unrecognizable figure loomed over the city of Tokyo, in midday, one could normally see what was on his face but there seemed to be a dark shadow that covered her. In the building, a large black hole covered the top.

"There's a storm brewing." A shorter one stepped forward, heels touching the edge of the building. She didn't seem afraid of what was below, nor was she afraid of falling.

"I need… I need…" A groan came from the black hole.

"We know, My Prince." Said the figure, the afternoon sun splashing on her face.

"Over there. There seems to be a big event stirring." Another one stepped forward, she pointed off to a large stadium, where there were flashing lights all around and a large crowd. It seemed to be some sort of convention.

"That's a Star Point, isn't it?"

"I calculate it to be so. Once brought down…"

"My Prince, just you wait." The woman spoke in a snakelike tone. "We will bring you justice."

* * *

Usagi slipped off her slippers and put on her shoes. She walked into the school's entrance. She wondered where Seiya was, but if he needed to cancel this 'date', she wasn't going to complain. She walked down the street, hoping that Seiya would pop out of nowhere like he always did…

"Odango!" There he was.

"Ack!" Usagi jumped where she stood, punching the air beside her. "You know, this is getting really old Seiー"

"Hey, don't say my name. I had to escape from class without anyone noticing. I'm Seiya at school, but not in public! You could call me a nickname." Seiya hissed, putting a hand over her mouth. Usagi swatted his hand away. "Like what? Crazy guy? Weirdo?" Usagi spat, angered at this constant surprise Seiya gave her. "You come up with the worst nicknames, Odango." He chuckled and leaned forward to give her a sly smile. "You always make fun of my buns. What if I called you Ponytail, hm?" She reached up and tugged at a loose hair from his ponytail. He let out a small noise in pain and shook his head. "Heyー This ponytail is gorgeous, okay?"

"Whatever. I'll just call you Seiya but under my breath." She let go of his hair, ignoring the softness of it around her fingertips. "Fine. I'm pretty sure it's a popular name… Right?" The two of them started walking, a sort of silent beckoning for Seiya to follow her. "Not really… I mean, I've never heard it before I met you. I mean, being a big superstar like you, you've probably meant hundreds of Usagi's, right?" Usagi looked at him from the corner of her eyes, the two of them walking at a similar pace. "I've met a few, actually…" He nodded. Usagi didn't expect that answer. "But I've only met one Odango." His teeth showed in his grin and Usagi groaned out loud. "You're so sleazy. Leave my hair alone!"

Seiya laughed. And despite her annoyance, she joined in.

The two of them kept a casual conversation. Seiya bragged about how well he thought he did on yesterday's test, and Usagi boasted on how she probably did better than him. They both laughed, because knowing them, they probably didn't do that great. Seiya, when he puts his mind to it, can really achieve great things in terms of academics. He has to, to stay on the football team. Usagi had no reason to have good grades other than the fact that her mother would disown her whenever she would get anything less than 50%. Ami was scary when it came to studying, even though she was incredibly smart, her way of teaching really didn't click with Usagi. She just made it into her first choice of high schools, but it's not like this school had high standards anyway.

"Here it is!" Usagi pointed to the building that loomed above them. CROWN Arcade, off to the side was the cafe the girls always hung out at. It was so quaint and nice, Usagi basically lived out her teenage years here. "It's really…" Usagi expected him not to think much of it. He was probably used to extravagancies that Usagi had no idea what to think of. He was a celebrity, after all. "I like it a lot." He said with a laugh and started to walk in. A grin grew on Usagi's face and she walked in.

Seiya smiled as he looked around at the games. He loved arcade games, he said so a few times before. "This place is really cool, Odango. No wonder you never want to hang out with me, you're always here."

"Hey, Usagi- Oh, who's this? Your boyfriend?" A teasing voice came from behind her and Usagi knew immediately who it was. "Motoki-kun!" She exclaimed, pushing him away. "This is… uh…. Kou Seiya. He's not my boyfriend!"

Furuhata Motoki was like Usagi's older brother. He would encourage her to do better at school and make sure she was in shape. He always welcomed her to the arcade and his sister who worked in the cafe over adored Usagi as well. The two of them treated her like a younger sister, often teasing her based on her love life. Today, the new target was Seiya. Usually, it was…

"Ah! Usako, you're here today."

Chiba Mamoru. Usagi's lifelong crush. The two of them met at a hospital when they were young. Usagi's mother was giving birth to her younger brother and it seemed that Mamoru was suffering an amnesia at the time. His parents had died in a scary car accident, so he had nowhere to go. Upon hearing the dismal news, the Tsukino family kindly would visit Mamoru often in the foster home. Usagi would always come by to bring her mother's homemade cookies or buns. Usagi loved seeing Mamoru. To Usagi, Mamoru was the perfect guy. He was tall, handsome, intelligent, and infinitely caring. He was 5 years older than her, just like Motoki, but that still never sated Usagi's ever-burning crush on him. Just like Motoki, Mamoru would push Usagi to try harder in school and be a better person. Usagi had so much admiration for him. She was blinded for her love with him and hoped that maybe one day, they would get married.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, running over to Mamoru. He gave her a kind smile and patted her head. "Did you get your test results today?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Um… No!"

"You aren't lying to me, are you?"

"Heh heh, I would never lie to you, Mamo-chan!"

Behind her, Seiya coughed. Usagi jumped where she stood, realizing that she had a guest in this arcade. "Oh, right…" Usagi chuckled sheepishly. "Mamo-chanー I mean, Mamoru-san, Motoki-kun, this is my classmate Kou Seiya. He's uhー"

"Kou Seiya, the name sounds familiar…" Motoki tapped his chin and it seemed that Mamoru had no idea what he was thinking. Just like Usagi, Mamoru was completely unaware of today's pop culture. "Ah, you're a singer from Three Lights, aren't you?" Both Usagi and Seiya froze where they stood. "Wow, Usako, you managed to make friends with a celebrity, haven't you?" Mamoru smiled and Usagi blushed. "Uh, yeah he kinda… Pushed himself into my life." Usagi mumbled, trying to not have Seiya hear her.

"Hey!"

"I won't blow your cover." Motoki grinned, putting a welcoming hand on Seiya's shoulder. "What are you two doing here anyway?"

"Well, Seiya thought he could beat me in Immortal Combat, so I'm here to prove him wrong!" A twinkle flashed in Usagi's eyes as she clenched her fist in front of her. Seiya chuckled and stuck his tongue out at her. "Ah, Usagi-chan used to be really bad at it, but I showed her the ropes. She's one of the best here, actually." Motoki grinned triumphantly, both Mamoru and Usagi sighed. "Other than Mizuno-san, of course. I don't know how that girl does it but…"

"Mizuno-san? From our school?" Seiya asked, turning his head towards Usagi with a frown. "Yes! Ami-chan is a great gamer! But, she thinks it's a waste of time so she never… Games…"

"It's truly tragic." Motoki nodded.

Seiya and Mamoru seemed to understand each other, not really getting what was tragic about that. They glanced at each other and Usagi began to think overdrive why the two of them meeting might not be the greatest idea.

"Uh…." Usagi grabbed Seiya by the shoulders and pushed him to the back of the arcade. "I have to meet up with the girls later so I need to kick your butt now! I'll see you guys in a bit, okay? Bye!

Seiya seemed confused as to why Usagi was acting this way, but he said nothing. With a large sigh, Usagi leads Seiya over to the game. It flashed with dark reds and blacks, large men on the screen made grunts and noises of the sort. Usagi loved this game, ever since the Sailor V game went out and was replaced with the Sailor Moon game, Usagi felt it was a tad too narcissistic to play the Sailor Moon game. She played this game instead and many who knew Usagi never would have guessed she played a game like this.

"You ready to get your butt kicked, Kou Seiya?" Usagi stood in front of the game, on one side of the controller. Seiya's questioning look disappeared quickly as a smile plastered on his face and he grabbed the controller and once the characters were picked, the two of them were locked in a battle.

Whenever Seiya punched, Usagi dodged. Whenever Usagi kicked, Seiya would parry and counterattack. Two long rounds went by and there was no winner. When Usagi won, she jumped up and down with loud whoops of triumph. When Seiya won, he would do the same but Usagi was not amused. She knew that she would win, no matter what.

Mamoru and Motoki came behind them and were watching their intense battle. No enemy battle was as intense as the one the two fought in. Usagi did a lower kick, Seiya would jump up. There seemed to be no end until Seiya finally hit the winning punch.

"Noooooo!" Usagi screamed when Seiya whooped in his victory. She smacked her head against the metal of the machine. Seiya patted her shoulder and Usagi wailed into her arm.

"Wow— I can't believe he beat her," Motoki said in awe. Mamoru nodded, smiling at Usagi who grabbed Seiya by the collar and was crying into his uniform. Seiya was desperately trying to push her off. "I thought he would go easy on her. Maybe just people like me would do that…" He chuckled, shaking his head with a smile.

"Hey, you guys are really good." A man said behind Usagi and Seiya. Usagi stopped her wailing for a moment to look at the man, her tears staining both her cheeks and Seiya's uniform. "There's a convention going on, maybe you guys should join it!" Seiya quirked a brow as he handed Usagi the flyer. "There's a prize of 1000$ dollars if you guys make it to the top. There's a special cup for couples such as yourselves, you guys might just do it."

The man left and Usagi and Seiya looked at each other in awe. "We— We're not dating!" Usagi yelled after he and Seiya sighed. "You don't have to tell everyone that, you know. It's just a couples cup." Seiya muttered under his breath as Usagi handed him the flyer to read. He peered at it and his eyebrows raised. "Woah- this is the Combat Combat Convention. The Three Lights were supposed to perform here… I'm not sure if I can participate in this." Seiya's hand cupped his chin as the flyer got taken from his hands. "1000$? That's insane! You know how many dumplings that could buy me?"

"Oi, Odango—"

"Seiya-san, I know you're a celebrity and whatnot, but what if you played for charity?" Mamoru spoke up and Usagi nodded profusely. "The charity of Tsukino Usagi! On the quest to get 1000 steamed buns!"

"Usako."

"Ah… I know what you mean, Mamo-chan." Usagi blushed and nodded, looking up at Seiya with a large grin. "We should do it, Seiya. You can fight for charity, and if people win against you, they might even get pressured to give it to charity. It's a win-win situation!" Seiya thought about it for a moment, Usagi could see his eyes faintly behind his sunglasses. What could go wrong?

"You know, that might work."

"Yes! The competition is tomorrow. I'll see you then, partner!"

Usagi ran off, realizing she was going to be late for the movie. The men in the arcade waved at her with a laugh.

* * *

"Bleumo!"

"Yes, my lord?" A woman with short curly hair came up behind a man, they stood above a large arena of screaming fans of two people playing fiercely at a game. Who would've guessed that this would be the perfect place to find thousands of people with such a strong will?

"You know your duties, right?"

"Yes, my lord." She whispered. "Bring down the building and everyone in it. Once brought down, the Star Point will cease to exist. Such a bad omen on this stadium…"

"Bleumo?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"Don't fail."

* * *

Odango."

"What is it, Seiya?" Usagi sighed, her fingers pulling on her tails. She had been nervous all day, luckily it was Saturday, she got to sleep in a bit longer. That didn't help that she was a tad late with meeting Seiya at the arcade. Mamoru and Motoki were going to be watching her at the competition and so were Usagi's friends. She was nervous and scared that she wasn't as good as she thought. She knew the people who were going to be competing were good at what they do… She wasn't sure.

"You have a lot of thoughts going through your mind."

"You can tell?"

Seiya smiled, a warm smile, one Usagi saw every so often and nodded. Usagi hadn't known Seiya for too long. She met him last year, her senior year of junior high. The two didn't get along at first, Seiya was set on teasing Usagi at every whim. However, the two became friends quite quickly, developing a relationship that Usagi that involved deep conversations and Usagi hitting him on the shoulder.

"What will people think when they see me step outside of your car? What will they think when they see us fight together?"

Usagi's friendship with Seiya was strained. Seiya loved teasing Usagi and he gave her a lot of his attention. At school, many rumors went around about the two of them. Usagi didn't like it, but she didn't care. Seiya's manager, Kakyuu, would remind him that he should not fraternize with the girls of the school, to save his image.

"I don't know. Kakyuu-sama wasn't excited about the idea when I told her. But…" He trailed off, looking out the window. It was about midday and the clouds had yet to settle in. "Odango, do you know what it's like to be in the public eye?"

"Not really, no."

"Sometimes, I feel like I can't be a normal person. I wish… Well, sometimes I wish I never had this problem. That me and my brothers never… We never became singers."

"You told me once before but… You said you became singers because you were looking for someone."

"Yes. She's very special to us. I wish to find her, one day. I see her in my dreams every night."

Usagi had dreams similar to what Seiya would describe. However, they weren't the same. Usagi never had the same dream. This dream would occur maybe once every few months and it wasn't memorable.

The car came to a stop and Seiya changed his mood, looking at her with a large smile. "Come on, now. We'll be late. I know how much you like being late but I don't!" Seiya said as he circled the car and opened the door for her. She stepped out and tried not to punch him in the shoulder. She did it anyway.

"Alright, alright." He said sheepishly, patting her on the back. "Now, we can't enter the front gate so we'll enter the back. The coordinator of the event said that it would be best if we got dressed in some cosplay, so we would fit into the crowd." Usagi frowned, stepping out and seeing that they had entered the back of the stadium, where nobody would notice that they were there. "What will we cosplay?"

"Hm, there are a lot of Sailor Moons in there."

"I…" Usagi shook her head profusely. "Sailor Moon is pretty and all, but I'm not cosplaying as her!"

"Ah, good. They would probably want me to cosplay as Tuxedo Mask and I definitely don't want to do that."

Seiya didn't know who Usagi's alter ego was and she would like to keep it that way.

"Hey, what about our characters in Combat? You think that would be cool?"

"I don't know, actually. I think they prepared costumes for us."

Usagi pouted and the two of them walked inside the building.

The building was huge. It was cut off into sections so that people could walk freely around the stadium. Usagi really wanted to come to this convention but she didn't have much money to get inside. Thanks to her connections, the Three Lights were actually able to get them a free ticket for the day. Being so influential (and so rich) it was wonderful that they were able to do that.

The coordinator was an old man with a flamboyant personality. He and Usagi got along really well, and it left Seiya chuckling to himself in the back. He dressed them up in cosplay that didn't have a name, just that it looked cool, and they were put out onto the ring.

The crowd cheered, mostly for Seiya, and Usagi started to get fidgety again. Seiya seemed to notice it and gave her a warm smile. Somehow, the smile made her feel better in this crowd. She smiled warmly and she heard a loud roar from the people. They seemed to like her.

"They like you," Seiya whispered, just loud enough for her to hear over the roaring crowd. Usagi giggled. "I don't know how to feel about the attention."

Seiya smiled and said nothing, waving his hands up and Usagi heard many girlish squeals in the crowd. It made the two of them laugh.

He introduced the two of them and Usagi blushed once her name was mentioned. She had never been in the public eye, other than her alter ego, but she hoped her life wouldn't change after today. Seiya and her didn't seem to notice that but she voiced her concerns to him yesterday night when she called him and told him that she was worried. He said there was nothing to worry about. She believed him.

The competition started. Despite the men being a tad too flirty with Usagi at times, they still did not go easy on her and Seiya. No one seemed fazed by the fact that they were going to raise money for charity. They seemed to think that Seiya was just a celebrity and Usagi was just some celebrity. It wasn't until Usagi and Seiya had won against five people that they started taking them seriously.

During breaks, Usagi would meet up with her friends. Minako was so excited, even more, excited by the fact that it was Seiya by her side (she was an avid Three Lights fan). Ami tried to play it off as she wasn't too impressed and that she rather Usagi be studying, but in the corner of her eye, she saw the utter glee in Ami's eyes when she won. Rei and Makoto were completely excited, taking on the crowd's persona and cheering for the better players. Mamoru wasn't too into it, probably as much as Ami was trying to play off, but he was really happy to see Usagi win. Motoki was about as into it as Makoto and Rei were, he even brought his own cosplay. Other friends of Usagi had come, such as Motoki's sister, even Usagi's junior high friends such as Naru and Umino came to watch. Everyone was so excited and happy for Usagi. It made her heart thrum with excitement and it only made playing even more fun.

Seiya and her were a team like no other, they seemed to work better together than against themselves. They knew all the combinations and even the fusions of the characters. Everyone was awestruck of the two of them. Usagi could tell the girls were incredibly jealous of Usagi but she didn't care. Her and Seiya worked so well together, she was having so much fun… Seeing Seiya smile from his sorrow mood this morning, it made Usagi so happy.

It came to the semi-finals. Usagi and Seiya were to fight for the finals. Everyone was so amazed and surprised that Usagi made it that far. Rei even called her a nerd. Usagi, after a few sniping comments, didn't really care about that either. Seiya had met with his brothers, who were also very proud of him. They didn't seem that amused but Usagi could tell that they were so very proud of him.

"Seiya," Usagi said, tugging on the sleeve of his costume. "You think we can do it?"

"I know we can, Odango." He grinned and patted one of her buns. "We will win with our love-love power!" Usagi shook her head, grimacing. "That's— Seiya!"

"Let's get them, Odango."

The fight went on, Usagi and Seiya didn't beat them by a landslide, but it was enough to put people on their side. By the time the match was done, the two of them gave each other a high-five. They were on for the finals.

Usagi's friends hugged her and patted her on the back, smiling and laughing.

"Usako!" Mamoru exclaimed gleefully, Usagi ordained her usual 'Mamo-chan' blush. "You're doing great. I'm so proud of you." Usagi giggled, clasping her hands in front of her. "Hehe, well, with you cheering for me, I feel invincible, Mamo-chan!"

Off to the side, Rei put her finger in her mouth to mimic throwing up. Ami and Makoto shook her heads and Minako laughed. Umino seemed to have pulled out a notepad and was writing things in it. Seiya didn't seem amused.

"Odango!" He called, snapping Usagi out of her pink heart and rosy background mood. "Seiya! Stop calling me that!"

"We're on, Odango!"

Usagi sighed, giving Mamoru a sweet smile before walking away. She was happy that he was here, she was true to her heart and saying that whenever she looked off to the side, seeing Mamoru cheering for her made her so happy. Seiya didn't seem happy about it, although Usagi had no idea why.

The fight never started.

There was a beam of light, and it flashed across the stadium. "Odango!" Seiya shouted, holding onto her wrist and pulling her back. Usagi shouted in pain, a bit of debris flying on her.

"Bleumo, bleumo, bleumo!" A ghostlike voice came across the stadium, screams erupted everywhere as people tried to escape. There was no order- just chaos.

"Are you okay, Odango?" Seiya asked his arms around her. She nodded, ignoring the pain on her arm. "I'll be fine. We've got to run, Seiya." She warned and he nodded. He grabbed her hand tightly, and the two of them ran. Usagi had to get away from Seiya, she had to transform. There was no way that was just some attack, that had to be a youma. There was only one way to fight them, she knew exactly how.

They rushed to the side, where the vending machines are. He sat her down and looked at her wound. "Odango, this cut could be serious…" He lifted her sleeve up and tried to mend the wound, but it was impossible. "Seiya… I can handle myself. My friends…" She mumbled and he shook his head. "No way, I'm not leaving you here. You could die. However… I'll have to check to see if there are any other left in the stadium. Please wait here, okay?" It was a perfect opportunity. Usagi nodded, shining a reassuring smile. Seiya gave her hand one last squeeze before running off.

Usagi clutched the brooch she kept in the pocket of her costume. She made sure to keep this with her at all times. She thrust it in the air and shouted:

"Moon Crisis, Make UP!"

A flashing pink and gold light, and Usagi had changed into her alter ego: Sailor Moon. She had only been Sailor Moon for a year but she seemed to already know the ropes of it. She stood up. Her arm was already beginning to heal thanks to her Senshi healing powers. She had to make sure nobody saw it and figured out she was Usagi. What did she have to do?

"Ah, I can't believe this…" Sailor Moon looked at one of her ribbons and ripped it off her fuku. It would be fine— once she de-transformed the fuku would repair itself. It still didn't look appealing, however. She wrapped it around her arm to cover the cut and ran into the stadium.

It seemed that the other Sailor Senshi had already begun fighting the youma. It was a woman with a long dress that made her look like a ghost. She had the power to make things fall from the sky, such as lights or stages, and make the air cold. Moon knew that she wasn't going to be an easy fight, but nevertheless, she would have to do her best.

"Mercury! Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Jupiter! Oak Evolution!"

Sailor Moon rushed into the battle. "Sailor Moon!" Sailor Venus exclaimed with a large smile. "Your arm…" Sailor Moon shook her head and grasped her Moon Kaleido Scope. "It's fine. I'll be fine. Let's just get this guy— Alright?"

"Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!" The golden heart went to the youma and it slapped her in the face. Sailor Mars smiled and shouted her own attack. "Mars! Flame Sniper!" The red arrow was flung back by the youma, much to their surprise, and the girls had to duck.

"She's quite strong." Sailor Jupiter grunted, hiding behind a piece of debris. "What are we supposed to do? I'm not sure if we're strong enough to take her on by ourselves."

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed then the team realized that Sailor Moon was still out there, trying to fight the youma.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, throwing her tiara at the youma. The youma parried the attack, and the tiara came hurling at Sailor Moon. She shrieked, but a single rose pierced the tiara, stopping it in the air. "Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon cried, looking up at the ceiling.

"Those who tear at the fighting spirit for charity, I cannot forgive thee." Tuxedo Mask said as the youma looked back at him with a confused tone. "Sailor Moon! Use your attack!" He shouted and Sailor Moon nodded. "Yes!"

Sailor Moon pulled out her rod and shouted.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

"Star Serious Laser!"

The double attacks, one from Sailor Moon, and the other from an unknown source came through, barreling at the youma. The youma shrieked a shrill scream, before disintegrating into a grey dust. An emerald gem came before them before cracking and turning into dust as well.

Sailor Moon, confused and bewildered, looked towards where the unknown power source came from. Three figures stood, all tall and thin, and Sailor Moon had to squint to see them.

"Standing in the darkness of night…"

"Dashing through the air of freedom…"

"The three holy shooting stars…"

"Sailor Starlights, Stage On!"

"Sailor Starlights…?" Sailor Moon mumbled, staring at the figures in complete awe. "These monsters are tough. You must use combined attacks…" One of them stepped up, her fuku was nothing but a leather bra and shorts, her long boots going to her thighs. She was beautiful.

"Who… Who are you?" The figure held out a hand and Sailor Moon took it, standing up. "You needn't know that yet… Sailor Moon." She smiled, her long dark hair reminding Sailor Moon of someone else but… "Combined… attacks?"

"I'll have to see you in the future, Sailor Moon." Her eyes narrowed at the ribbon wrapped around Sailor Moon's arm. If it bothered her, she said nothing about it. Sailor Moon squirmed under the gaze, while it was piercing, it was really familiar. But why…?

"Bye." She said, before leaping off and Sailor Moon was left there, her mouth agape, staring off where the Sailor Starlights once stood.

* * *

"Odango!"

"Seiya…" Usagi muttered, trying to regain her weak composure. The cut got worse after the attack, she hoped Seiya didn't notice. "I'm going to have to take you to the hospital. Come on, let me carry you." Usagi groaned and she stood, her other arm being hoisted over Seiya's shoulders. Seiya winced. "Seiya! Your leg…"

"It's fine… We're nearly there."

"Seiya…"

"Odango. We didn't win but… I'm glad you're okay." Seiya whispered as the two of them hobbled off out of the stadium, towards the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note** : The last chapter was excessively long, sorry about that ^^;; it's been a while since I've written Seiya and Usagi and I had so much inspiration for the two… I couldn't find it in myself to take any of the long paragraphs out. I hope this chapter is shorter, but I can't make any guarantees!

 **ACT 2**

"Hey, Odango," Seiya whispered to his seatmate, poking her with the blunt side of his pencil. She turned around, noticeably irritated. "What?" She asked, the sense of irritation in the back of her throat. Seiya didn't mind, however, often Usagi did not like to be bothered with his pencil but this was important. At least, it was to him.

"What's your favourite flower?" Very important.

"Er—" Usagi was a tad taken aback. She didn't expect him to ask anything of the sort, rather, expected him to ask if she got question #5 down, but knowing Usagi's extensive knowledge of English… Maybe he would never ask such a thing. "What? Why?"

Seiya shrugged, throwing his hand off to the side of his desk. "I'm curious. A person's favourite flower can say a lot about a person." He said, pointing his nose up to the ceiling. "You said the same thing about favourite colours the other day," Usagi grumbled, after a few minutes though, she put her guess down for question #4. "And your answer was pink. That says a lot about you."

"Like what?"

"Odango," He sat up his seat, no longer leaning lazily on the desk. "What's your favourite flower?"

Usagi didn't really think about the answer, it was something she knew, always have. "My favourite flower is red roses." Her mind wandered to Tuxedo Mask and eventually, Mamoru. The two of them always shared a love for red roses, always. She smiled fondly. "They're so romantic and beautiful."

"You know," Seiya's voice changed, speaking in a lower tone that Usagi couldn't really recognize. "I always wear a red rose in my suit when I perform."

Usagi blushed profusely. She totally forgot about that. "I—It has nothing to do with you!" She scrambled her composure as quickly as possible. "Sure, Odango, keep telling yourself that." She wasn't looking at him, but she could hear the smirk on his face. _Gosh, how annoying is he?_

"Why did you ask though? Really?" She asked, turning her head slightly and looking at him from her peripheral vision. "There was a huge flower shop that opened downtown. It's been the latest buzz lately and I was just wondering." He looked back down on his paper, possibly indicating that this discussion was over. "And, it's the answer for question #5." Usagi's eyes darted to her paper. Barely being able to make out the question, " _What's your favourite flower? Explain why in detail._ ", she read. He was really insufferable sometimes. "Why? In detail?" His smile grew larger and her sigh louder.

"Mamo-chan…" She mumbled, careful to not let anyone hear. "They're really special to me. When I was a kid, I would always buy roses for my mother, they are her favourite too. My father would always buy roses for her, every week. I guess… It was sort of a dream of mine to have a husband who gave me roses all the time. And well…" She shrugged. "Does that suffice?" She looked back to him and he smiled, a genuine one this time. "Yeah. It does." His elbow was on the desk, his fist raises up to rest his cheekbone against it. "It's really sweet." He nodded and Usagi smiled as well. "What's your favourite flower, Seiya? In detail!"

"Well…" He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes not really looking at a specific point. "I really liked daffodils. Not many people tend to like them, they said they aren't pretty. I find them very beautiful, but not in an elegant sense It's almost childish, in a way. A bright yellow with unique features…" He trailed off, looking up at Usagi's buns. "I find them quite pretty." Usagi blushed, knowing that was meant towards her.

The bell rang and Usagi was more than glad that she was able to get out of class. English really gave her a headache. "However," Seiya continued, standing up but waiting for Usagi to pack her things. "I do like red roses as well." Usagi stepped into their usual pace and walked to the courtyard, as lunch was about to begin. "I did pick it as my chosen rose for a reason."

"What's that reason?"

"Seiya-kun!"

Seiya grunted in annoyance. There was a crowd of girls holding letters in their hands and Usagi instantly knew what they were. "Odango, I'll have to tell you later. See ya!" With a tap of her buns, he was off in a flash. The girls nearly ran Usagi over, had she not stepped over to the side.

The Three Lights hated being chased down at school. The teachers had advised the students repeatedly that everyone was to treat them like regular students but that didn't stop them, sometimes. Sometimes the teachers had to gather in groups to disperse the ecstatic fans. It really put a pressure on Usagi, who was often seen with Seiya. Even her own friends, who knew Seiya quite well because of his friendship with Usagi. It made Usagi sigh loudly as she walked off to go eat with her friends.

"That monster yesterday…" Usagi stepped in mid-sentence of Minako, who was staring intently at the grass. "Who were they?" She looked up to acknowledge Usagi's appearance, who sat next to Makoto in front of the tree.

Makoto nodded her head, smiling gently at Usagi. "Hello there, Usagi-chan. I saw you nearly get pummelled by those girls." Usagi sighed again, trying to forget the memory. "Don't those girls listen to the rules? I feel so bad for Seiya. He can never catch a break. He and the other two always have to go hide out on the rooftop or something…"

"Usagi-chan," Ami spoke up, looking up from her textbook. "We didn't really see the soldiers that helped save us. Who were they? You saw them well, didn't you?" Usagi closed her eyes, trying to remember yesterday.

But how could she forget? Those three figures. They were so familiar but Usagi didn't know why. They were familiar but still so mysterious. The one that approached her, the one that helped Usagi defeat the youma… Everything about her was just so vivid. Usagi could remember nearly every detail, yet at the same time, it was so blurry. Her long dark hair tied back, her soft smile… Usagi saw it similar to that of Tuxedo Mask, to her other Senshi. But there was something more. There was an extra part to her that Usagi felt connected to, attached to.

"Sailor Starlights…" Minako muttered after giving Usagi a few moments to answer. Usagi remained quiet. Did her nostalgia make sense to her friends? It was like a weird case of deja vu. There was something about that soldier that Usagi wanted to get closer with, but what was it? Maybe she was too trusting. "Do you think… They're like us? Or do you think… They're our enemy?" Makoto spoke up and Usagi shook her head. "No way— They helped us! How could they be our enemy if… If they helped us?"

"Michiru and Haruka helped us but we spent so many times fighting against them."

"But they're our friends now! After they realized that I was the Messiah… They were on our side. They want to protect us and fight with us." Usagi was firm in her statement. Thinking about their previous battle made nightmares flash in her head. "You never know," Ami tapped her chin. "They could be the ones who sent the youma. Maybe they are trying to gain your trust, Usagi-chan."

"Ami-chan…!" Usagi stood, her head shaking furiously. "How could you all be so cynical?"

Usagi rushed away, taking her lunchbox. She didn't mean to snap at them, but seriously! How could they already be calling them their enemy? They knew nothing about them. Usagi didn't trust them entirely, certainly not, but there was just something about them that made Usagi _want_ to trust them. What would be so wrong with trusting them? As if they had shown anything but help for her.

There was a rustle in the bushes behind her, Usagi turned around and saw Makoto. "Mako-chan— I… I'm sorry." Usagi hung her head. "I just can't see how they would be that bad… They helped us." Makoto sat next to Usagi and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "I know, Usagi. I think so too. Ami is just… Well, she has to be protective of you. She doesn't want you to get hurt."

"It's weird. Ami-chan's usually not like that. She's usually quite trusting." Usagi picked some grass out of the ground. "Well, she's been really stressed because of her classes. She's taking some advanced classes, you know."

Usagi nodded. Makoto gave her a comforting smile and Usagi returned it. "Hey, Usagi-chan, do you want to go with me to the new flower shop later? I was thinking I should buy some new flowers for my apartment." Usagi's eyes widened and she nodded. The flower shop sounded wonderful, Usagi loved visiting florists with Makoto.

"I would love to!"

—

In the dark corners of an unknown world, there was a woman. Her hair flowed down her back in heaps of fire, her voice was crackly and full of evil. Revenge, remorse, destruction. She kneeled in front of a coffin, one that was full of a black mist. Above it was a large sword, it seemed to resonate in dark energy.

"My Prince…" The woman spoke, louder than her hushed murmurs. "I'm so sorry for failing you. I promise _he_ was just trying to get used to the new world. I assure you that we will find the Princess. She has to be in this world somewhere, hiding away." She looked up at the coffin, peering into the black darkness. She stood, after not hearing a response, she walked down the staircase. The staircase dripped in a liquid similar to oil, but thick like blood.

She sat on a throne, the throne was ornate in black roses, the thorns pricking out like knives.

"Queen—"

"I am not impressed with your inability to kill Sailor Moon. You know she's going to continue being a real threat."

"Yes, My Queen." The man before her, the one from before, gritted his teeth as he bowed before her. "I have a plan going on now." He stood and turned on his heel. Her blank face made his blood boil but he still walked away as if she had not affected him.

"Rozamon!" He shouted and a youma was summoned. "Yes, master!" She cried. "I want you to find the Princess. She loves red roses."

The youma nodded and disappeared.

"Don't fail me." Said the woman in the throne.

"Jadeite."

—

Usagi and Makoto walked towards the new flower shop. They were still dressed in their dark navy uniforms, their school bags off to the side. Usagi thought to invite Seiya to the shop, but he wasn't in class. He must've escaped the school in order to get away from the screaming fangirls. It wasn't much of a surprise to Usagi. He might've put _date_ implications behind it anyways. Usagi wasn't up for that. So it was just her and Makoto, and that was fine by her.

"I'm so excited! Maybe I should buy some flowers for my mom…" Usagi skipped in front of Makoto. "Oh, sure! Maybe you should buy some for Mamoru-san too." Makoto's grin came upon in a way that made Usagi frown and punches Makoto in the shoulder, not that it did much. "Mako-chan!" She growled as they approached the shop.

The shop was much larger than Usagi expected. It was a large, glass greenhouse, covered in vines of leaves and flowers. There were flowers outside, all in ceramic pots on top of wooden carts. There were many women and a few men outside, peering inside the pots. Usagi's eyes widened and she cheered to herself. It was so beautiful, it made Usagi run over to the pots and stare at the flowers. The pots were separated by colours. Outside, vibrant reds and yellows were shown with their daffodils and roses. Usagi was completely drawn into the beautiful arrangements.

"So pretty…" She smiled, her fingers tracing the grains of the petals. "The daffodils are really pretty."

"Daffodils?" Makoto picked up a red rose and sniffed it, grabbing a few and putting them in her hands. "Aren't they quite… hm, plain?" She quirked a brow and Usagi shook her head. "You know… I've come to realize that it doesn't take striking elegance to be pretty." Usagi grabbed a few and put them in her hands. Makoto frowned but didn't question it. The two browsed a bit more out in the front before entering the building.

The two of them were overrun with a sweet aroma from the flowers. All kinds of flowers, grouped into various colours. Purples, blues, pinks, they were everywhere. They were even some succulents off to the side, flowering in the bright sun. It was truly beautiful, it was as if the owner had created gardens for a palace rather than just a simple flower shop. Usagi's mouth and eyes widened, exhaling in awe over the beauty of it all.

The two looked around together. Usagi didn't know much about flowers, but being a florist was one of Makoto's dreams. Makoto loved flowers as much as she loved cooking, so being here was such a joy for her. Makoto would put up interesting trivia for Usagi whenever they would examine a plant, and for something involved with learning, Usagi was very interested.

"Wow, Mako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed after Makoto told her a fact about lilies. "You're so smart when it comes to flowers!" She smiled and Makoto grinned sheepishly. "I just love them so much… They're so pretty!"

"Ah, hey girls!"

Into the distance, at the end of the garden, came a tall lanky man with sandy brown hair. Instantly, both Usagi and Makoto knew who he was.

"Motoki-kun!" The two of them exclaimed at the same time. Makoto's face instantly went a blushed pink. He grinned his usual, caring grin. "You two came here today as well? I wanted to pick out some flowers." Usagi nodded excitedly as well. "We did! I wanted some flowers for my mom and Mako-chan… Well…" Usagi looked to Makoto, who had stars in her eyes and a flushed face.

For the past year that Usagi has known Makoto, Makoto has had a crush on Motoki. Apparently, Makoto had a boyfriend back in 8th grade, he was a 9th grader. The two dated for a year until he broke her heart, for reasons Usagi didn't know. Underneath the rain, Motoki walked by and handed her an umbrella. He was in 11th grader at the time, now he was in his second year of university. Even so, she had a big crush on him and visited him at his work often.

"This place has been very popular recently, I'm not surprised you two are here." Motoki said with a laugh and a sheepish scratch to the back of his head. "Who were you getting flowers for?" Makoto asked, blinking out of her daydream. She seemed to have suddenly noticed that she was on Earth and not in the clouds, Usagi shook her head in exasperation. "I like to have a vase out in my house every so often. My sister also really loves flowers, so getting her a bouquet wouldn't hurt." He chuckled, looking down at the gardenias beside them. "That's so sweet…" Makoto smiled warmly, looking down at them as well. Usagi, behind them, made a retching motion before walking away and browsing the flowers further.

"What's your favourite flower, Makoto-san?" Motoki turned his head to Makoto, who gave a moment's thought. "Hm… Well, I really like roses. And, you can call me Mako-chan." Makoto tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as Motoki smiled warmly at her, his eyes turning into crescents. "Ah, like the ones on your earrings, Mako-chan?"

"Yes— It was a gift from my father." She nodded, her hand coming to twist her earrings in her ear. "Pink roses symbolize purity and innocence." Motoki nodded, his gaze following her hand and looking at her earring. He looked back to her, who's blush matched the colour of these earrings. "Yes… When I was young I was bullied a lot for being so strong. He got them for me because I always wanted to be a florist when I grew up."

Motoki softened his smile.

"That's a beautiful dream, Mako-chan."

Makoto blushed furiously at this point, her eyes averting from his as her fingers curled around her mouth to hide her blush. Motoki bent over and grabbed a gardenia, handing it to her. Makoto looked at it in confusion before looking up at Motoki.

"A gardenia also represents purity as well as sweetness. Here, Mako-chan. I can only give you one but…" He chuckled, putting the flower in her hand. "It suits you. I hope you like it."

Motoki walked away, two bouquets at his side, paying at the cash register. He pointed to Makoto, before pulling at his wallet. "Bye, Usagi-chan!"

"Bye Motoki-kun!"

Usagi walked up to Makoto, standing beside the blushing mess with a few flowers in her hand. "Ah, Mako-chan! He gave you a flower!" With a bright smile that quickly turned into a wiggle of the brows, Usagi elbowed Makoto's side. "Hey, Mako-chan, your face is as bright as the rising sun. So cute!" With that, Makoto blushed harder.

"A gardenia indicates secret love." A woman off to the side said, one of the workers, her voice sent a chill down Usagi's spine. "He must be in love with you."

By this point, Makoto's entire body had turned a bright red. Usagi guffawed.

A few screams circulated around the store, and the two looked up, there were many girls running to the back of the store, but they collapsed before they were able to get away. Usagi and Makoto stood in a ready stance, running away into a private hall.

"MOON CRISIS, MAKE UP!"

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"

Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter ran into the room. A youma, with blooming flowers coming out from a long skirt of grass and other shrubs, was standing over many women who were unconscious. Jupiter snarled at the youma, her hands clenching into a tight ball. Beside them was a man with coffee blonde hair and cold, icy eyes. He seemed absolutely smug at the sight of all the lifeless women before him.

"Hold it!"

The two enemies looked up in shock, hearing those wretched words of Sailor Moon was so unfamiliar to them, but also so very unwelcome.

"Women who are delicate like flowers do not deserve this treatment!" Sailor Moon yelled, pointing her finger at the enemy in front of her. "We will not forgive you for hurting a woman's dream!" Exclaimed Jupiter.

"I am Sailor Moon!" She exclaimed, her hand coming up and doing her regular intro, creating a discomfort in the two enemies. "Sailor Jupiter!" Said Jupiter, her anger growing larger.

"Sailor Moon…" The man mumbled to himself. "Rosalin! Get them!"

The youma lunged at the sailor soldiers, while Jupiter jumped out of the way, Moon managed to just get away, stumbling over pots of flowers. "Sailor Moon!" Jupiter sighed, exasperated at her leader's clumsiness.

"JUPITER! OAK EVOLUTION!"

Blinding green lights blasted around, breaking flower pots and sending shards of ceramics at the youma. It snarled. "Don't break the pretty flowers, you rotten apple." Its hands grew out into sharp gardening tools. "Time to prune this ugly tree!" It lunged at Jupiter, who jumped out of the way. "Sailor Moon!" Jupiter screamed, but to no avail, Moon managed to get caught up in the vines that were sprouting out of the ground, tangling herself in the bunch. "I'm kinda— These are heavy!"

Jupiter shook her head, dodging ceramics thrown to her by the youma.

"VENUS! LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"

"MARS! FLAME SNIPER!"

The direct shot of a golden heart came at the youma, knocking her down, giving Jupiter a moment to catch her breath. The flaming arrow came at the vines surrounding Sailor Moon, setting them on fire. "HOT HOT!"

"Mars!" Sailor Mercury nudged Sailor Mars' arm, giving her a scolding look. "How else was I supposed to break it?" Mars shrugged.

"Sailor Moon!" As Sailor Moon stumbled her way out of the vines, the youma stood up, her entire body burning in the flames. The girls stepped back, eyes stricken in fear as they watched the flaming flower lunge at Sailor Moon. She shrieked in terror, trying desperately to run away, but it was too late. She had nowhere to go.

"STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!" The beaming light came at the youma, knocking it down. The girls looked off to the side and there stood the three dark figures, unknown to the girls what their individual names were, but they all were known to the girls. Yet, their mysterious vibes were too much for everyone to bear.

"It's them…" Mars mumbled to herself. "Sailor Moon, now!"

"Fighter!" The silver-haired one who had just launched the attack shouted with similar urgency to Mars.

"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"

"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"

The joint attack of pink and red stabbed into the burning youma, incinerating it into the dark emerald, that shattered into dust.

"You…!" The man, who was watching from a distance, curled his hand into a fist, his lips twitching in anger. "This won't be the last of me, Sailor Moon! Jadeite will return!" A black hole ripped into the air, enclosing him in the darkness.

Behind the Sailor Senshi, they turned to where the Starlights stood. They weren't there. Sailor Moon held a hand to her chest, looking off into the skylight.

—

As the bell rung for lunch, Usagi had fallen asleep on her desk during the lesson. The teacher, trying his best not to pull his hair out, Seiya had stood and stopped him. The teacher sighed and grabbed his stuff. Seiya looked over and smiled at Usagi.

"So irresponsible… Odango." He said, with no frustration in his voice. He spoke fondly, his smile as soft as her hair that flowed over the wood desk.

As Seiya left, a daffodil stuck out from Usagi's briefcase, to be found later by a dumbfounded Usagi.

The daffodil, the symbol of an unrequited love.


End file.
